I Spy
I must state for the record that my companion had a great time in this movie, and probably would give it a much higher rating than I did. I say that because I don’t necessarily think you should not see this film, or that you might not enjoy it – but I write the reviews and this is what I thought of it, so here goes.
Eddie Murphy at his most manic and uncontrollable – generally funny. Owen Wilson at his most put-upon and charismatic underdoggish – also generally funny. However, despite their fantastic chemistry and the pretty clever story they have themselves in, somehow, the sparks did not fly for me. I think Eddie (as egotistical and over the top boxing champ Kelly Robinson) is best when he is high status and carrying the torch in a responsible way. When his character pushes the mania past funny into abrasive (which is right for this character), he then loses his credibility for me, and needs to be the “other guy.” Example: his little dragon character from Mulan. I was always so stressed out that he was going to ruin everything that I couldn’t enjoy the ride. It was the same here.
As for Owen Wilson, whom I love, I like him being the clueless sidekick OR the cocky leader. In this film, he has an insecurity due to fellow agent Carlos (hilariously cast with Gary Cole), a “aw she’d never go for me” crush on fellow agent Rachel, and a total inability to control Kelly Robinson’s character. As a result, no one is in charge, and it just feels like cascading disaster looms ever present.
In case you don’t know, boxer/civilian Murphy is teamed with Wilson’s special agent to gain the agent access to the lair of a bad guy (Malcom McDowell, natch) and of course, mayhem ensues. Robinson’s ego makes Mike Tyson look like Clint Howard; he’s the super-spy, not this shiny blonde boy. Former Bond girl Famke Janssen is just the right fly in the ointment, but I won’t ruin her part in the film.
This is to take nothing away from the clever espionage, the rolling, continuous semi-improvised banter of our two heroes, or the actors themselves. But somewhere, someone needed to have exercised a little judicious control, and either reined in Eddie or given Owen more to work with, competency-wise, because it all fell apart. Nitpicking on an action-comedy? Maybe. But honestly, for me, occasionally, it was like being on an airplane with a screaming child sometimes – I couldn’t do anything about it but endure it and it takes the pleasure out of the journey. This is not to say that you, like many of the people in my audience, won’t enjoy it, but hey, you read this stuff to see what I think. I can’t help it. I laughed at parts, but I smiled at more. I mostly gritted my teeth and willed Kelly Robinson to shut up already.
MPAA Rating PG-13
Release date 11/1/02
Time in minutes 97
Director Betty Thomas
Studio Columbia Pictures
